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Right move at the right timeI hardly salute politicians, because as a student of political science, I am aware that politicians do things to win votes. But some moves have some good effects. President Kumaratunga’s brave decision to seal a pact with the LTTE is good example in this nature. As a peace lover, I am really glad Sri Lanka state finally sealed the pact with the LTTE. So, I laud her decision. This is severe blow to the anti-peace and radical parties. However, they will use the entire channel to win Sinhalese sympathies in order to win next election. In fact, this pact also helped these racist groups to outbid their opponents on the anti-Tamil or anti-LTTE programs. I am really happy the way international leverage had been used to pressure both the LTTE and Sri Lanka state. Regarding the Muslim factor, I think they are not marginalized as radical Muslim forces claim. One should not forget these forces (Rauf Hakeem and Hisbullah) have their own political agendas, which come from Tamil-Muslim disunity. Muslims were given 3 slots at the regional level while they are allowed to be equal partners in the national or top body. The signatories to the pact were decided on the basis of who controls where and how. Theoretically, LTTE was invited to be signatories partners for two reasons: first they control some parts of badly affected tsunami area; second, state will not deliver effectively even in the state controlled northeast without the fullest cooperation of the LTTE. So, state forced to be co-author of the pact with the LTTE. International actors need to keep their leverage continuously both on the state and the LTTE for the proper implementation of the Pact. Any cracks in the implementation by both sides would deject trust among the subcultures at the elites and mass level. DR. A. R. M. IMTIYAZ – USA Corruption and public servantsThis has reference to the news item published in the Daily News of 20.06.2005 under the caption ‘Ninety per cent of corruption resorted to by public servants - Deputy Minister Sripathi Sooriyarachchi’ I would not like to go into the details of the pros and cons of that statement since it is well known to the readers. The main cause for the bribery and corruption is the patronage given by those in power both politically and administratively as well as the circumstances. Herein I would like to suggest a way out to reduce bribery and corruption in this country. The government employs persons on the condition that they must be prepared to serve in any part of the country. This country is divided into twenty five administrative districts. The minimum age to enter the service is eighteen and the maximum age a person can serve is sixty. That is a maximum of forty two years in service. There is a system for the transfer of public servants. Many aspects are taken into consideration before a transfer is ordered. My suggestion is that a person must not be allowed to serve in an administrative district for more than three years and that too only once in a district without exception. That means a servant of the public will get the opportunity of serving the public in a minimum of fourteen districts during his service to the public. The public will also get a fair chance of being served by the very efficient as well as by the least efficient. the three years in a district may not be enough for a public servant to study the climate that would successfully enable him/her to engage in bribery and corruption. A long stay in a district will cultivate a vested interest in the people of that district which should be forbidden to the servants of the public. Cultivation of vested interests shall be left as the monopoly of the politicians and the business people since politics is business these days. The servants of the public shall sincerely and truly conduct themselves according to the establishment code in his/her work place and the family code outside his/her work place in their own interest and in the interest of peace in the country at large. They must bear in mind that they are the servants of the public and that it is the people who are paying them through their employer for the services they are expected to render. So long as all the people act according to the rules and regulations in the name of justice there will be no problems for the public and the necessity of the hated bribery and corruption will not arise. There will be no problems in this country if all the people do their duty sincerely and truly. SIE. KATHIERAVELU - Being a housewifeHaving read L. Wijesiri’s (Moving Finger) (DN May 10), I rush to thank him for opening my eyes (and I hope of thousands of others like me) to the life I have lived for thirty odd years. I never knew that my housewifely duties were so valuable. In fact I have been called ‘an ordinary bloody housewife’ quite a number of times by others. An insult I had to bear humbly, thinking it is true, while blaming the misfortune of being one, on my past bad Karma. My family always had hot food on the table at meal times; clean rooms, clean linen. Children were taken care of without outside help and they had clean and clear heads to mind their own lives and study comfortably. The family ate 100 per cent home cooked food, children always carried lunch to school to have it before their afternoon classes. No short eats, no fizzy drinks and no fast foods were needed by them. The pay that we genuine housewives expect is only love and kindness and understanding from the family concerned. No jewels, no gems can make a housewife and mother happier than just hearing the family say thank you and acknowledge with love and understanding. Being paid a wage reduces the value, the depth of understanding of a housewife and mother’s duty. She cannot in anyway be equalled to a wage earner who toils for her salary in a place of work! A housewife is the Boss, the queen of her Domain. We carry out our duties to the best of our ability thereby bringing happiness to the husband and children. We are always there if help is needed. We have been the first teachers of our kids. A housewife is a lucky one if she can sit back and relax and watch her kids grow to be useful citizens. As for me with the evening of my life quickly approaching, I feel happy for being a housewife for 34 years. L. RAJAPAKSE – Honesty and customer-caringIt is common among traders and other businessmen to earn a fast buck whenever prices of consumer items are increased. To find a trader who sells the old stocks at the old price is like finding a needle in a haystack! There is one such organization in Kandy and therefore it is my duty to publicly appreciate and commend the honesty of its owners. Whenever there is an increase in fuel prices, the Petrol Shed run by the Kandy Tyre/Rebuilding Company (opposite Girls’ High School, Kandy) always issues fuel at the old price while stocks last. This generous and customer-caring practice was implemented by the late K.W.T. Danister de Silva in the mid 1970s, and since his death, his two sons continue this noble tradition. (For example, when the price of petrol was increased by Rs. 6 per litre from mid-night June 5, 2005, this Petrol Shed was issuing petrol at the old price on the following day). We rarely give credit in public to honest and customer-caring business organizations. What a wonderful place Sri Lanka would be if others learn from this noble example. V. Silva – Another Sri Lankan firstThere is a common trend here to abbreviate high sounding collection of words vociferously which are meaningful in form of letters and most of them are of political nature. Most often, than not, these letters appear in the printed media for brevity to save space. However, most people appear to be confused as to their meanings. Moreover, there are a stream of new letters often appearing in the printed media regularly. As such, it is a well thought of idea if some wise guy inserts these short form archives with their meanings in the Internet and share their information in the World Wide Web. There is a possibility of these letters accepted by the compilers of The Guiness Book of Records too because Sri Lankans create history. Importantly, care should be taken to have popular letters like PA, UNP, LTTE, JVP, EDP, MOU, UNF, SLMM, UPFA, JHU, JM, P-TOMS and hosts of other words with their meanings in the World Wide Web and Web Page for easy browsing to gain an entire circle of knowledge for reference now and for our future generation. At the moment, there are 150 million web browsers some of them are unaware of these short forms. H. L. D. E. PERERA – Disappointment at BMICHI wrote a letter to the newspaper stating that BMICH had no elevator to cater to the needs of the elderly and senior citizens and received a telephone call from an officer who informed me that they do have an elevator, whilst admitting that the signboard was not that visible to the public. He further added that one could ‘request’ to use the lift: He said there was no such facility to get to the balcony, but it would be looked into soon. Everything seemed okay till I went for the Gypsies show on June 26. But alas where is this elevator he spoke of? Oh! yes it was supposed to be there but ‘Not working’, I was told. What a situation! Again there were so many senior citizens struggling to climb those never-ending flights of steps. What’s the good of having an elevator that is not working specially on days when big shows are on. Funny isn’t it? A reputed hall with non-working facilities. Please act quickly. Yvonne F. Keerthisingha – MalaysThis refers to B. M. N. Jurangpathy’s criticism in your newspaper of June 27. Sri Lanka Malay Association (SLMA) is a department that comes under the purview of the CMCC. One has to be a member of the CMCC to be a member of the SLMA. SLMA was founded by the members of the CMCC to meet their religious, cultural and social needs. Sri Lanka Malay Confederation (SLAMAC) is an umbrella organisation of the Malay community centres distributed all around the island. Members of the SLMAC represent the Malay community but neither the CMCC or the SLMA. CMCC is the property of its members and not either of the SLMA or the SLMAC. Therefore to have debarred members of the CMCC especially after having extended invitation to them is a lapse on the part of the responsible ones. To avert such displeasure, injustice and provocations, the SLMAC in future must organise a larger area to accommodate the Malay community. FAZEER RADIN - Three wheeler menaceSeveral readers have brought the plight of law abiding citizens as a result of three wheeler drivers who break all road rules at the time. At three wheel parks meant for 3 or 4 double the number are parked. For instance outside the Crescat, as you try to get on to the Galle Road, three wheelers are parked even on the pavement and also alongside making it dangerous for both pedestrians as well as motorists. Then look at the top of any by-lane along Galle Road. Three wheelers are parked at the top of the road thus blocking the mouth of the road and vehicles coming into or going out of the by-roads have to move to the right of the road before turning left. It is surprising that the City Traffic Police and the local Police stations turn a blind eye to these blatant violations of traffic rules. N. WIJESINGHE – Garbage at Pamankada RoadOur company Butterfly Zippers Lanka(Pvt)Ltd. that is housed at Pamankada Road, Colombo 6, is in the vicinity of the bus halt for route no. 141. The passengers waiting for the bus face a great deal of problems due to the dumping of garbage in front of the office entrance. It has become an eyesore for all the bus passengers and pedestrians and also to our employees and customers. This situation has been notified time and again by phone and registered letters to the Chief Medical Officer of Health, The Director Solid Waste Management and the Mayor of Colombo himself. All this has had little or no effect on them, as dumping of garbage goes on unheeded. This irresponsible attitude is a matter, for much regret. RAMESH J. SURVASE - |
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